Locked Blades, Locked Resolve
, the Flower Light Palace, was undergoing festivities today, for the return of a particular figure had caused even the reigning Queen to believe that celebration was necessary. As such, the halls had been alight with candles of various colors, chandeliers glowing with all the colors of the rainbow as a particular man had strode through the hallway. His appearance was refined, but it was one step short of royal. He boasted finely cut black hair, chiseled facial features and a stature that commanded authority. His steps were soft, but even the most disrespectful of soldiers bowed to his presence; he had done something no other in the Kingdom of had accomplished: the completion of a "100-year" — this man was no other than Nolan Houdini. On his own initiative, the man had, with the forced permission of the , gone directly to the slave-ridden country of to single-handedly defeat the alliance of that gripped the country, thus causing the tension between neighboring countries and to calm, preventing a war that could have costed thousands of lives. With this accomplishment, the Queen, Hisui E. Fiore had invited him to her throneroom, to emblazon the man with the medals of accomplishment he deserved. Nolan, having finally reached the end of the hallways, stepped into the throne room. A massive chamber, the doors emblazoned with golden-lined marigold patterns and the entire room appearing to possess several flower beds at the edges, giving the room a faint, but ethereal glow. Entranced by the light of the flowers when they hit the sun, he almost forgot about the persons standing in the room. Quickly regaining his composure, Nolan kneeled to the Queen sitting in her throne. "I am here as requested, Your Majesty. I hope my actions have been in your favor." He had politely said, raising his eyes slightly to meet the Queen's. The Queen, Hisui, stared back at Nolan. She had a very composed look, and despite having a seemingly cold expression, was more than thankful towards Nolan. "Rise, Nolan, no need for such formalities. This is celebration for your accomplishment." Hisui said to Nolan, her words carrying weight, and giving her a commanding presence. As Nolan rose from his bow, he noticed a menacing looking knight standing next to the Queen's throne, glaring at him. "Hmm?" Hisui noticed Nolan looking at Sirius "I see you've met Sirius. I suppose an introduction is neccesary." Hisui gestured for the knight, Sirius, to step forth, walking infront of her to be clearly viewed by Nolan "This is Sirius, he has been assigned as my bodyguard. 30 years in training, and only two months has he actually begun. A fine spectacle, is he not?" Despite her supposed praises towards Sirius, the knight didn't seem the least bit flattered. Then again, his helmet had an unhappy expression as it is. "It is...a pleasure to meet you." It seemed as if Sirius was struggling with words towards Nolan, having a hint of hostility. It could be that he still wasn't fully trusting of this man yet, despite Hisui herself inviting him, and even throwing a celebration for him "Nolan, was it? I am Sirius. I have heard of your...achievements, and I myself am quite...impressed." Sirius knew he should treat this guest of honor with the proper treatment, trust issues or not, it would be disrespectful towards the Queen if he didn't grant the same treatment she did. "Is that so?" Nolan stood and breathed out in relief, "Thank goodness. I couldn't strain myself any longer." As the real personality of Nolan was revealed, an audience would be baffled, while his close acquaintances would simply chuckle. Nolan was a man who bent to no authority but his own, after all. "Thank you for your congratulations, your Highness." Nolan softly smiled in return of the Queen's congratulations, before turning to the knight in armor who had been staring at him intently. "I...see." Nolan said following the exposition of Sirius' identity, to which Nolan wasn't exactly convinced. "Hello, Sirius. I hope you don't mind the lack of honorifics, I'm not particularly well-versed in etiquette." Nolan laughed as he spoke those words with utter fluency. "Is that so? I'm glad I've impressed someone of your status. I can feel your Killing Intent radiating all the way to here. But, that being said...does that not need some taming? After all...her Highness should not have her guests feel intimidated, yes?" Nolan appeared to be provoking the bodyguard, hoping that the Queen understood his intentions. "You..." Sirius sounded irritated by Nolan's words, but quickly stopped once he noticed Hisui was silent, indicating she wasn't pleased. He walked back to her side, crossing his arms. "Nolan, while I am grateful for your advice, and your work in Bosco, I do not feel a neccesity in provoking my loyal bodyguard." Hisui said to Nolan, sounding much more serious than before. She stood up, much to everyone's curiousity and surprise, as she extended her hand towards Nolan "If you wish to test and challenge whether or not Sirius is worthy of being my bodyguard, you, Nolan Houdini, may very well fight him, if you so wish." The offer Hisui spoke left the audience in silence, for her to suggest a fight after such a festive event has been set. "Your Highness, if I may..." Sirius tried to intervene "I see no point in fighting. He is not a threat to you.". "Sirius, do you think I have trust in you fully to guard me with your life?" Hisui turned her head slightly to the side, glaring at Sirius who stood next to her "For you to become...worthy, I must first see it first hand, with my own eyes. Your father and trainers can say you've defeated Dragons or Demons or whatever, if I do not have evidence, I am not trusting you to give your life away for mine." Despite her calm demeanor, Hisui's words were surprisingly harsh, especially towards the one they were directed towards. "...Very well. As you wish, my Queen, I will fight this man." Sirius bowed his head to Hisui, accepting the challenge. "Good." Hisui turned to the guards "Clear the training area. Any trainee or officers there may go home early today. I wish for a clear space for this battle." Hisui ordered the guards, who immediately left as she finished. She turned her gaze back towards Nolan "I wish for two battles to take place. And for me to see them. A battle of swords and skill, and another of magic and wit. Show me, Nolan, that this man wearing the demon's head is worth protecting the ruler of your country." Such words did not fit Hisui's calm exterior. It was quite baffling for some infact. Sirius himself had to get used to her demeanor in the time span that he was her guard. Fighting Spirit — Clash of Blades! "Hahahaha, perfect, perfect!" Nolan clapped his hands together once with a joyous expression, as if everything had played right into the palm of his hands. "While I didn't expect such a sudden turn of events...things have certainly played out perfectly." Nolan stepped backwards slightly, going to the center of the hallway while moving backwards to the right side near the flower beds on the edge. "If we shall begin with a contest of blades, then..." Nolan drew his own blade, a with an almost peerless edge. "Let's celebrate this festive occasion with a collision of our roaring spirits through our blades!" Nolan's voice echoed through the room, stunning even the leaving guards; he was definitely in a mood for enjoyment. "I suppose it is fitting. But, as I said, outside." Hisui said, beginning to walk away while accompanied by two guards. Sirius attempted to follow her, but was stopped when she turned back to him "I said outside.". "But, my Quee-...". "Now." Hisui's words were absolute to Sirius, and this time was no exception. He did not feel well about leaving her unguarded, not by him atleast, but if she's near, then no harm can be done. Sirius and Nolan stood outside in the training area. It was surrounded by walls, with pathways, in a square. This was the area were Rune Knights trained, newbies and officers together. It was crowded with dummies for training, and had fake weapons and shields stacked for training. Hisui stood atop the wall's pathway surrounding the training area, along with some soldiers and audience members who came along to watch. They were all a safe distance away, so no harm should come to them from a non-magical duel. "Now then, first round shall only be swords. Sirius, choose only one weapon, and from then on, neither of you are allowed to use your magic. And of course, no killing. But dismemberment of limbs is okay." Hisui declared, making the simple rules clear for everyone. "Yes, your Highness." Sirius extended his hand forward, as he summoned a simple looking claymore, possessing a red jewel on its blue guard. Sirius wielded his favorite weapon, Caliburn with one hand, preparing himself for this fight. "Excellent." Hisui sounded pleased, despite her expression remaining unchanged "Now then...you may begin." Hisui announced the fight has begun. "Right." Sirius prepared himself, planting his feet firmly onto the ground, and clutching Caliburn in his hand, ready for Nolan's attack. Considering Nolan's appearance, Sirius assumes he is a fast individual, so him trying to lunge at him would be pointless, and even downright foolish. He is a slow fellow after all. "Are you going to use a stationary fighting style in order to make me run out of stamina?" Nolan queried, as he gripped his blade with both hands, stood with his blade parallel to his waist and then dashed with his right foot propelling from the ground, leaving a small cloud of smoke as he began with a very direct strike: a vertical slash that appeared as if he was attempting to completely dismember Sirius from his shoulder to his waist from the get-go. Of course, the power within the slash was drastically reduced, preparing him for any retaliation with ease. "No." Sirius tightly gripped his claymore in his right hand, preparing himself for the impact. In a single moment, the two fighters clashed blades, the sound of metal hitting against each other echoed to the audience, as a gust of wind erupted from between them. "I am not one to use such petty tricks." Sirius raised his left arm upwards, preparing an elbow strike "I am one who breaks my foe!" Sirius declared swiping his arm downward in an attempt to deliver an elbow strike to Nolan's shoulder. "Hmph, foolish." Nolan replied, surprisingly, as he quickly evaded both the shoulder-barging elbow strike and the descending blade through a rather elegant spin beginning from his right foot, ending up at Sirius' right with his blade clutched in his hands. Quickly taking a step backwards, Nolan's sword was elevated to shoulder-level and pointed directly at Sirius with its edge. "Your duty is to protect the Queen, is it not?" Nolan began to speak, ironically about the man's duty, "Then what is the need to break your enemies? Is that not unnecessary cruelty on your part?" He questioned the man, before keeping his blade upright at his waist and closer to his body once again, standing in a neutral stance that made almost any assault from an inferior opponent useless. "I annhilate anyone who dares to threaten the Queen, because if I let them live, they'll return." Sirius replied to Nolan, pointing his claymore towards him "If protecting the Queen means becoming a cruel devil, than I am more than happy to oblige." Even though Sirius witnessed Nolan's speed, he would memorize that, and try to keep up with it as best he can. "Sirius." Hisui called out to her bodyguard, who looked at her "What are you doing? Do not hold back. Treat this man as if he has insulted me. Prove you are indeed a devil, and not merely a dog." Hisui attempted provoking Sirius to fight more seriously. She was aware he wouldn't take this fight to heart due to it having no form of consequence or reward to him, or real purpose for him. "...I apologize for that, my Queen." Sirius said, returning his gaze back to Nolan "My Queen has spoken, Nolan." Swiping his arm, Sirius' right arm got behind his back, and so did his claymore, Caliburn "But I was being disrespectful in my last attempt at fighting." Sirius lunged at Nolan, the sheer force behind his feet leaving an imprint on the ground, as he was swinging his sword forward. The sheer pressure gathering up in his sword more than enough to cut a human clean in half. Even if his speed can be outmatched by most individuals, he was still above average. "Now this is a fight." Nolan's expression turned grim for a moment, as he used almost all of his concentration to parry the swing made by Sirius in a timely fashion. "...Now!" Nolan thought to himself, turning his sword onto a horizontal angle and using all of his strength to temporarily parry the oncoming blade, causing a gust of wind to erupt from behind Nolan's position due to the force of the swing. However, what really packed a punch was the collision between both swords, forcing another shockwave that actually caused a dent in the ground from the power exerted by both individuals, particularly Sirius' swing. Immediately, Nolan understood that attempting to overpower Sirius was foolhardy. In turn, Nolan willingly decreased his strength, suddenly retreating his blade from the collision, disorienting both himself and Sirius for a moment. However, given Nolan's innate physical attributes, he managed to quickly compose himself before sending a blindingly fast slash towards Sirius' open right arm in hopes of disabling some of the man's overpowering strength. The slash made an impact with Sirius' arm, and he willingly blocked it with his gauntlet. The impact of the two metals collided could be heard, and the gauntlet being dented by Nolan's attack was clear, but luckily, Sirius' armor protecting him for now. "Interesting!" In an instant, Sirius pushed back Nolan's sword with his gauntlet, causing the two to back away from one another, before preparing to swing his blade once more "A man who has become a legend in Bosco...I suppose that isn't just for show after all." With his monstrous strength, Sirius swung his blade downwards, sending a powerful sword pressure towards Nolan, one that would cut someone more than once, and of an especially grand size. "...Impressive." Nolan responded, as he managed to recollect his stance and subsequently had his blade placed in a horizontal angle, tightening his grip as he realized the danger of the incoming wave of pressure used against him. Within an instant, Nolan swung his sword in a perfect arc, causing his own, marginally thinner, wave of pressure to be released from his blade and colliding with Sirius' own, causing a vortex of air to be briefly formed before dissipating into a powerful gust of air that forced both combatants, and even the Queen, to brace themselves for cover. "Looks like those thirty years of training were quite useful indeed..." Nolan noted to himself, regarding Sirius' abilities, biting his lower lip in irritation. "It seems that we both aren't going to get anywhere with singular clashes like this. Therefore..." Nolan smirked as he made a sudden dash towards Sirius' position, leaving a large cloud of dust forming behind him. Instantly, he began the onslaught of attacks with a vertical overhead slash towards Sirius' left shoulder, something which the man parried with ease, the base of Caliburn clashing with the edge of Nolan's blade. However, Nolan was unrelenting. In that one moment, he shifted his wrist to angle his sword horizontally, moving to the right as Sirius and Nolan's blade were sliding on one another before they suddenly repelled away from the collision. Using his heightened swordsmanship skills, Sirius placed Caliburn in a lunging stance and proceeded to swiftly attempt to pierce through Nolan's stomach, although the man quickly sent his blade downwards and, with another flick of his sword, flipped both his own and Sirius' blades upwards. Making use of this opening, Nolan attempted a horizontal slash towards Sirius' torso, who quickly blocked the blade by closing the distance between himself and his sword, using the Claymore's large size as a shield-like apparition. It was here that both combatants suddenly spiked up their fighting spirit, sending the two seasoned swordsmen into a frenzy that enabled them to enter a chaotic dance of blades. Nolan's blade was swift, seasoned and elegant, the pointed tip of the blade managing to repeatedly clash with the brunt of Sirius' Caliburn at various angles. However, Sirius was, at the same time, not one to lose; he had ensured that his own large sword was perfectly exploited to keep up with the lithe assaults by Nolan's katana, eventually accumulating into an exchange of blades that resounded in the ears of all onlookers. The clangs of blades were progressively increasing in their volume, sparks of light erupting from the venue of combat; yet both combatants were silent, focused and resolute: none could afford to lose this exchange, not here. "Good." Hisui said, still calm, as the two fighters were clashing swords in a vicious barrage of metal meet metal. "Go on, Sirius. Show me, and these people, you aren't a dog. I refuse to have another puppet give their life away to me, merely because I am their Queen." Even though she sounded pleased with herself, Hisui remained unrelenting in her composure "I wish for a warrior, a knight to be the one who guards me. Someone that when I talk to, will talk back to me, not as his superior, but as a human." With that, the fierce clashing of swords continued. The violent winds of the two warriors only got stronger and more intense, and with what looked like an instant, the two swordsmen, with their strength, clashed blades. The sheer impact denting the very earth they stood upon. In what looked like seconds for the audience, seemed like an entire moment for the two. Their eyes locked, full of determination to take the other down. The two swords locked, Sirius' Caliburn, having been thrusted downward, was pointing down at the earth, while Nolan's katana, pointed towards the heavens. In a blink of an eye, Sirius thrusted his sword upwards, seperating him and Nolan's blades, openning a small gap between the two. Sirius quickly tried to regain balance, and then lunged Caliburn towards Nolan, aiming for the man's shoulder, still being aware that he isn't allowed to kill his foe. Without speaking, Nolan knew the next course of action. Regaining his own balance quickly, Nolan placed his own sword in a horizontal position and used the hilt of his blade to jab Sirius' sword away from his body, only narrowly evading a potential blow to his shoulder. In the meantime, Nolan lightly jumped backward, regaining both his balance and his enthusiasm. "Haha! Looks like you nearly forced me to use my "Killing Sword"; I must admit, I was very impressed in those moments I was in grim silence!" "Is that so?" Sirius regained his composure, taking a deep breath, as he pointed his sword at Nolan once more "It is a shame, we aren't allowed to kill one another, and it forces us to hold back quite a bit." With that said, Sirius grabbed his cape, tossing it off his body, revealing his entire armor. "I must try extra hard now." Sirius cracked his knuckles with one hand alone, taking a gripping motion "Your Majesty, is utilizing armed combat with hands illegal in this match?" Sirius asked his Queen, his tone full of respect towards her regardless of the situation. "No. I said a battle of swords and skill. Unarmed combat is allowed." Hisui replied to Sirius, sounding dignified. "Excellent." Sirius lunged towards Nolan, preparing to utilize his left arm alongside his swordsmanship to fight his foe. He performed a simple swing while drawing near Nolan, gathering air pressure while doing so. The moment it collides, it will fire a slashing wind pressure forward from the blade. "Tch, that sword..." Nolan knew that he couldn't exactly avoid the next confrontation and so, instead of allowing the confrontation to occur at close range, instead sent a horizontal swing of such speed that it caused a wave of power to be formed from the edge of the blade, thus forcing Sirius' blade, in the middle of its swing, to collide with the wave of pressure, forcing all the accumulated air pressure to then create a gust of air that was localized at Sirius' location. "Let's hope that slows him down a little..." Regardless, Sirius sword continued forth, but missed its aim, due to the pressure wave disorienting his aim, causing him to strike the earth, and get the blade stuck in it. However, Sirius immediately, shot forth towards Nolan, pulling Caliburn from the ground, in an attempt to quickly close the gap between the two. In a moment, Sirius swung Caliburn, with his right arm towards Nolan from the side, but cocked his left arm back, preparing to thrust it forward at a moments notice, and strike Nolan. Nolan stayed quiet once more, focusing on Sirius' movements. Knowing full well that a man of Sirius' caliber would not simply resort to simple strokes and tactics, he patiently awaited to block his horizontal slash by keeping his blade upright near his shoulder, prior to instantly realizing that Sirius' movements were changing by feeling the shift in the wind surrounding him. "Damn." Nolan thought with a sense of urgency as Sirius' thrust came forward. "No matter!" Nolan expressed, as he subtly shifted his wrist to the left in order to parry the thrust with the flat section of Nolan's blade bashing against the edge of Caliburn, forcing Nolan to leap forward with his blade until he reached behind Sirius, at which he responded accordingly with a swift thrust of his blade, attempting to completely stab through Sirius' armor and pierce to the bone of his shoulder in order to lessen his overpowering might. Knowing he has not much time to react, Sirius braced himself for Nolan's strike. Striking his armor, the blade did indeed stab through and stab Sirius' shoulder, but not to what the man hoped for. While it was indeed bad that Sirius got stabbed, it shouldn't hinder him too much, his armor protected him enough. With Nolan's sword caught through Sirius' armor and flesh, Sirius quickly turned, pushing himself harder than before, thus moving at a greater pace than before. He forced the sword out of his flesh by doing a spin, starting with his left leg, doing a full 180 turn, and read to first strike Nolan's head with his left fist. Soon after it, would follow Caliburn, being swung at full force towards Nolan's body as well, and thus has a longer reach than Sirius' arm. "Tch, this armor..." Were the only thoughts of Nolan as he kept calm in the face of this struggle. Realizing the momentum brought about through Sirius' motion would enable movement away from him, the sword had been released and thus enabled Nolan to quickly duck his head as Sirius' fist attempted to bash him in the face. However, upon doing so, Nolan was caught in an odd position and would find it difficult to evade the entirety of Sirius' assault; though he chose not to. Instead, Nolan made use of his leg strength to propel his legs upwards, forcing him to be in a handstand for a brief moment as Sirius' blade made soft contact with his upper back, though only enough to make a minor injury as Nolan quickly sprung up back to his feet. "No more openings!" Nolan had proclaimed as he sprung towards Sirius' location, the man who was still recovering from the ends of his sword swing. Nolan, however, could not care less. He quickly sent a flurry of slashes from several different angles, two specifically tailored in an attempt to disarm Sirius by striking his wrist from both the left and right, while another focusing on striking Sirius' torso with a direct strike; if one of these should land successfully, Nolan's victory would be ascertained in that moment. Instead of stopping midway to re-adjust himself, Sirius continued his swing, completing a full 360 degree spin, his blade returning to Nolan on time and the two clash. Sirius successfully managed to parry Nolan's sword away, but at the cost of becoming quite dizzy and disoriented. He quickly leaped back, attempting to regain his composure, but it was clear he had trouble keeping himself balanced when walking, feeling very dizzy. "This...wasn't a good idea...". Hisui sighed at this sight. It was sad really. Such a menacing knight, becoming dizzy "This is such a disgraceful..." Hisui coughed, clearing her throat, before walking a bit closer to the corner of the wall "Sirius!" The onlookers immediately took notice of the Queen shouting to her bodyguard, though Sirius himself had problem seeing her properly as it is. She raised three fingers before everyone to see "I have decided that the first one to get three hits, wins. You both are at 1 point. Do not forget that." Hisui said, granting a requirement for victory "Perhaps now this will not drag for too long.". Sirius could still hear his Queen, and he tried regaining his balance. He gripped Caliburn tightly with both hands, pointing it forward, in an attempt to build a defense until he regained his composure. "Is that so?" Nolan remarked at the Queen's demands, laughing at the same time. "Then..." Nolan inched his right foot forward, "It's time for a blistering offense!" Within but a moment, Nolan managed to reach Sirius' position and quickly attempted to strike him with a diagonal strike aimed towards his left shoulder. Sirius took the full brunt of that slash, being too dizzy to properly react. But the pain surging through him, allowed him to quickly focus on more. His left hand had no weapon, so in a desperate attempt, Sirius quickly tossed Caliburn and caught it in his left hand, and grabbed the blade of Nolan's katana with his right hand, protecting by the gauntlet. He had Nolan's weapon in his grip, and thanks to his gauntlet, should be capable of holding onto it before it reaches his flesh. Two points for Nolan, and one for Sirius. Sirius, with Caliburn in his left hand, attempt to lunge the claymore right into his foe's stomach. It doesn't matter if it does stab through, simply wounding him should be enough to warrant a point. "Damn." Nolan thought to himself as the blade inched closer and closer to him. Without delay, Nolan used his knees to propel the sword upward, causing it to inch closer to his left arm, thereby avoiding his stomach, albeit still giving Sirius the necessary point he required to catch up. Two points for Nolan, two for Sirius. On that note, Nolan managed to wrest free of Sirius' grip following Sirius' strike, thereby enabling Nolan to make a move in order to maintain a good distance from Sirius. Nolan breathed, this fight was surprisingly tiring despite the man's level of stamina. "It appears we both have only a single strike left..." Nolan commented internally, placing both hands on his blade. "The final strike...how will it be decided?" His thoughts concluded, looking intently at Sirius in an attempt to read his intentions. Sirius was bleeding from his left shoulder, blood dripping down from this arm and to the ground. He switched Caliburn back to his right arm, preparing for one final attack "I shall not make a mockery of myself in this. I cannot allow loss, even at such a simple battle." Sirius thought to himself, focusing on his target. "Hmph." Hisui coughed once more, clearing her throat "Attention! Nolan and Sirius!" Hisui once again caught the attention of the two combatants with her voice "I have decided, since you are both at a draw, you are allowed to switch weapons, be it magical in nature or otherwise." Hisui focused her gaze on Nolan "I have heard stories of your blade, Seven-Branched Sword, was it? You may choose a form to take upon, and Sirius shall switch weapons as well." Hisui declared, wishing to see an epic finale to the first round. "...How fitting." Sirius said, as Caliburn vanished. Magic energy was exerted from his being, repairing his damaged armor, as he summoned a new sword onto his right hand. He summoned a sword whose blade shine a brilliant glimmer of silver, possessing a golden guard and hilt, and resembles a traditional sword, shorter than Caliburn, a claymore "Durandal, do you see this foe as worthy of facing your blade?!" Sirius declared, speaking to the sword, Durandal "If so, then let me borrow your strength, your absolute blade, and let me strike him down in this very moment." Sirius pointed Durandal at Nolan, and cocked his right arm back, preparing to lunge forward and attack. Nolan took a breath, and chuckled. "I suppose we should make a grand finisher as well, Sirius? Let's finish off these festivities with a bang!" Nolan immediately slid his hand across the Seven-Branched Sword, the sword suddenly engulfing in bright flames before wrapping around the blade tightly until it was no more than a bright pink light emanating from the blade. "I'm sorry for the magical nature of the blade, however..." Nolan gripped his sword with both of his hands, revealing a strong killing intent from his person. "This is under the Queen's orders." Nolan smirked, "So how are we finishing this?" "One final bout." The pressure under Sirius' feet began breaking the earth he stood up, exerting magic energy from his person as he prepared his attack "With all our strength, as if we wish to kill one another! Completely erase the other's existence!" Sirius exclaimed, shooting forward like bullet, displaying more speed than before. He was pushing himself more than ever before for this final strike. Putting all of his strength on his right arm, he was truly willing to strike Nolan with the intent to kill. "Is that the strength of Durandal emitting from him?" Nolan commented internally, bracing his stance as he dug his feet into the ground, causing cracks to form from the sheer density of magic exploding from him. "I'll be stupid to not accommodate with the same intention!" Nolan's feet left the ground as he charged forward against Sirius with a similar level of speed. His power, all of it, was distributed between both of his hands, elevating his sword as he awaited the perfect moment. The blades of these two swordsmen were inching, closer and closer...coming to the conclusion of their long-standing duel. The moment the two blades collided, the sheer force behind the two warriors became apparent. Upon collision, the very earth seemed to dent beneath their feet, effectively creating a small crater. The shockwave reached the onlookers, causing many to retreat back inside due to the violent winds. A large cloud of dust was all that was left, towering even the trainee area. This was the power of these two warriors with the intent to kill. Hisui stayed put, not moving an inch despite the massive shockwave caused by the collision. She kept her eyes focused on where the two swordsmen met. "Fascinating. This is what I wanted to see. Now then...Sirius or Nolan...who is our victor for the day?" Hisui said to herself, as the cloud of dust cleared. Sirius and Nolan stood before one another, both their blades still locked, but...with clear scratches on their body. Sirius' armor even had smoke emitting from his body, and his left shoulder was exposed, with scratches. Nolan himself, was also hit, scratches covering parts of his body, and even his attire was torn. It was a tie. The onlookers stood in shock, and even Hisui herself seemed surprised. These two simply stood, their blades locked, staring at one another. "I see then." Hisui's expression returned back to normal, as she declared "The conclusion of this battle is a tie! Both have won the first round. All of you may leave. The second round shall take place tomorrow, and then, you shall witness their full power. Whoever wishes to come, it shall be held at the arena of this town, where you will be a safe distance away. Where...casualties will be less likely." Hisui finished, and walked away, intending on going to the training area. "...I must admit, I'm thankful for the day break..." Nolan admitted, finally breaking the silence between the two warriors. His sword had grown cold once more, and he had caused it to dissipate before the onlookers. "I can't...afford to slip up like that again..." Nolan turned around, seemingly ignoring the presence of Sirius. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the murderous look in his eyes as his blade charged forward, charring all that came into contact with it. "I appreciate our clash, Sirius." He said, opening his eyes and walking to, what appeared to be, the exit. "You have once again reminded me of my limits, I thank you." "...No, thank you." Sirius replied, Durandal vanishing from his hand, as he extended his right arm forward for a handshake "You allowed me to understand that there does indeed exist people out there whom I cannot easily defeat. And..." Sirius went silent for a moment, before speaking once more "Hopefully, proved myself to the Queen, Hisui." Sirius tone has a sense of leginimate sincerity in his words. "Heh," Nolan chuckled as he turned around once again. "Of course." Nolan extended his left arm out, clutching Sirius' and shaking it as a sign of friendship. "I hope we can call this the first step to our friendship, and perhaps even a rivalry, Sirius?" Nolan asked, before responding to Sirius' plea. "You definitely have, Sirius. She's always known you were worthy...she just needed a little bit more evidence to substantiate that. There are very few people who can contend with me, after all." "Enough of this romance." Hisui said, interrupting the two, as their handshake ended "I congratulate you both. You've done well. I am thoroughly pleased and impressed." Hisui said to the two "And you, Sirius, you have proven to me that you are indeed worthy of guarding me. But, you have a long way to go until I trust you with my own life." Hisui said "Dismissed." Hisui gestured with her hand, as she walked away Sirius following her. "Rest for the day, we shall meet again tomorrow, I expect a show better than this." Hisui said to Nolan, without turning to face him even. Second Day - Battle of Powers Within the arena, located at the very center of the town, sat many spectators who came to see the event. This arena, typically held for special events, was build to be made for battles between teams, not merely a one-on-one. Atleast, not for it to garner so much attention to become this big of an attraction. Hisui herself sat on a special seat, made for the country's ruler to clearly spectate without anyone being in her way, as well as being well guarded by five high-ranking soldiers. One of them could match a S-Class in power, if not thanks to their magical armours that are enhanced to allow easy movement, and endure harsh punishment, as well as being trained in the art of swordsmanship and magic. "This better not be a waste." Hisui said, rubbing her eyes. Secretly, she was excited to see this battle, but sadly, said excitement kept her up at night, so much so she got only a few hours of sleep, and was evidently tired, but still didn't let that get in her way. The work of a Queen is tiring as it is, this should be nothing. Sirius, on the other hand, was anxious. Not because he was about to battle Nolan. But because this was the battle where he has to prove himself to his Queen that he can and will protect her by any means neccesary, no matter the threat. Before the gate to the arena openned for him, Sirius took a deep breath, calming himself down "Focus. Being jumpy is no good...It'll get in the way of battle." Sirius said to himself, in an attempt to give himself support. That was simply sad. "Right! Just imagine Nolan is a threat. Focus on putting him down. But I'm not supposed to kill him...Dammit! This is frustrating...!" Sirius shook his head, and for good measure, hit the wall with it, getting all the bad thoughts out "Just fight!" Sirius said, walking out to the arena, where he would meet his foe, Nolan. Nolan, on the other hand, had nothing specifically to prove with this conflict. In fact, if he had lost in front of Sirius, it would have been a beneficial outcome for the both of them. For one, Sirius wouldn't have to face humiliation in front of the Queen. Moreover, Sirius wouldn't beg for any stupid rematches and waste Nolan's time. "Of course, I can't exactly lose either..." Nolan thought to himself, as he had taken off his signature cape and replaced it with a white cloak with golden trimmings across the center and wore it over his oriental and combination, with his sword clearly seen at his waist. He had reached the stage where this battle would take place. Sirius, standing on the opposite side of him, was just as determined as he was. Nolan, in his excitement, waved his hand like a little boy. "Oi, Sirius! We're gonna have a good one, eh!?" Nolan was always excited for a battle that would intrigue him, even more so when that same enemy made use of skill-sets foreign to the man. "Of course, trying ''not to kill the guy will be a tough thing to do..."'' Nevertheless, he stepped forward, awaiting the moment when Sirius and he both reached the center, for the battle would begin shortly. Hisui cleared her throat, and by tapping the communication Lacrima before her, as large monitors showing her face surrounded the arena's battle ring "Ahem. Thank you all for gathering here today. As some of you may, or may not know, after yesterday's battle of raw skill and talent, today will be similar, albeit more...dangerous." Hisui made sure to make it clear that this wasn't going to be merely a fun battle to watch "By that, I mean Nolan Houdini, and Sirius, will be allowed to go all out, use their magic, and all of their skills. There is, of course, two conditions. You, the spectators, must not be harmed, but that is not guaranteed, hence why magical barriers have been created to keep you safe. For as long as it can, that is." These words indeed struck some of the audience members, causing some to even consider leaving. "Why must you be so thoroughly honest...?" Even Sirius, who had great respect for Hisui, saw a problem with her bluntness. "The second condition is, neither competitor is allowed to kill the other. But that is a given. In the event that it does happen, the one responsible will be the winner, but that will not exempt them from punishment, according to how the law judges them." Hisui said, staring down at the two fighters. She sat down on her throne, her hands held together on her waist, trying to look as dignified as she can "With that said...you may begin.". It was at that instant that Sirius quickly summoned a pair of blades onto his hands. They were simple in design, albeit a bit shorter than the average sword. One was a glimmering silver, but the other had a darker shade to it. "Gan Jiang and Mo Ye." Sirius declared, clutching both blades in his hands, taking a readied stance "Let us fight as one." Sirius granted Nolan the chance to initiate his own attack. It was best to react accordingly, rather than charge mindlessly. "Seven-Branched Sword." Nolan announced the name of his blade as he drew it. When he did so, he calmed his stance and flared up his magical energy only slightly, letting only a small aura leak from his being in a controlled manner. He gripped his sword with both of his hands, facing it towards Sirius and kept his left foot behind his right. However, he decided to not move this time around. Instead, he stared down Sirius, in an attempt to gauge whether he truthfully possessed the mindset of a warrior. "Hmm..." Sirius could tell Nolan was more than likely wanting him to attack first. As such, he decided to see if he can make it happen instead. Sirius placed his right arm beneath his left, with his sword's blade pointing back, whilst extending his left arm forth, keeping his sword's blade pointing upwards, but in the middle of his body. He backed his left foot a bit back. It was as if he was well prepared to either strike or defend the moment he chooses to charge. "So he's not too shabby." Nolan thought to himself, keeping his feet the same distance away but altering the position of his blade. He raised both arms backwards, leading his left elbow to jut out behind him while his right hand gripped the hilt from the bottom, leaving his right elbow to face downward. All the while, his sword was at level with his ears, its point facing Sirius. He continued to wait, despite this stance's clear attempt to probe Sirius into acting on Nolan's openings. "Keh, he's taunting me...Leaving an opening..." Sirius took note of that, and decided to alter his stance a bit. He bended his knees slightly, allowing him to bend forward a bit, still maintaining the same position of his blades as before, but it was clear that with this, he'd be ready to charge right at Nolan without delay, and close the distance without needing to use High Speed. "Battle of wills, eh?" Hisui looked over, she didn't seem quite bored by this. Infact, it only made her intrigued even more, to see which one of these two will break first and strike. Whoever attacks first will more than likely have a disadvantage. Unless they plan ahead, they will more than likely suffer severe consequences. "You, guard." Hisui said to the guard to her right "My throat is parched. Get me something to drink. Preferably cold.". "B-...But your Majesty!" The guard was baffled by Hisui's order. Was she not aware every one of her guards is essential for her protection? "I mustn't leave you! I was strictly ordered to...!". "Are you saying my orders are below the ones you were granted?" Hisui's words struck the guard, causing him to silence and shiver. She didn't even bother looking at him. "Don't worry, I still have five more guards protecting me." Hisui said, but to the guard's confusion. And looking around her, only saw four other guards, not including him. Regardless, the guard decided it'd be best not to argue with a person who can fire him without even saying it, and went on to bring her a cold drink. Hisui stretched her arms, evidently still tired "I really need to get that magical item called sleeping pills.". "Right." Nolan immediately dropped his stance, something that Sirius would not have expected. "I'm sorry for probing you like that, Sirius. I just wished to see your sense for danger." Nolan clapped, "You passed." Nolan gripped his blade in his right hand, while his left index finger began to rotate in a circle. "However..." Moisture began to collect around the man, forming into a stream of high-pressure water, "I'm going to be a bit more dynamic this time around." Nolan, only needing to point his index finger towards Sirius, sent a narrow, but highly pressured beam of water towards Sirius' chest, using this as a means to disorient his stance. "Keh!" Sirius leaped to the side, rolling on the ground, leaving a dent on the ground of his feet, narrowly dodging the beam of water. "Water Magic...How uncommon!" Sirius said, turning to face Nolan. "And it begins." Hisui muttered, a pleased smile appearing on her face. "High Speed!" Sirius, utilizing the power of High Speed, shot forward at incredible speed. While doing so, also placed both arms at his sides, preparing to swing both Gan Jiang and Mo Ye at Nolan the instant he gets close to him in a horizontal slash from both sides of Nolan. Magic energy gathered around the blades as well, signalling that they were ready for use. "Tch." Nolan grunted to himself, before stepping on his back foot and pressing down on it, narrowly evading the two incoming blades that targeted his waist by shifting backwards only by an inch. In that very instant, a notable circular shockwave was emitted from the ball of Nolan's left foot, causing a dent in the grounds of the arena as Nolan displaced himself without a trace. "Yo." He said, as he appeared behind Sirius, with his sword clenched in his right hand, he attempted to slash Sirius from the shoulder downwards, clearly expressing a lot more power than in his previous bout of swordsmanship with Sirius. As he did so, moisture appeared to coalescing around him in a ring-like structure, though the exact purpose of it remained unknown. "Fast and excellent reaction time!" Sirius took note of. Quickly, he turned around, and switched Mo Ye, the sword on his right hand, to a reverse grip, as he pointed Gan Jiang at Nolan. In that moment, the blade of Gan Jiang created an extension of itself, made from raw magic power, shooting forth, heading straight towards Nolan. All while Mo Ye was merely gathered magic power, ready to create an extension of itself in a moment's notice. "Heh." Nolan's water ring quickly adjusted its shape, sending out a whip-like structure to intercept the magically powered blade coming from Nolan's right, leaving it dispersing into magical particles again. "I suppose if you're making use of magical swordsmanship..." Nolan began to say as his body disappeared with another step, appearing to the exposed left of Sirius. "Asura's Sword!" Nolan chanted, as his blade began to have a pink hue surrounding it, with flame-like fragments dispersing from it as they transfigured into replicas of Nolan's katana, all of them aiming to impale Sirius from all directions, while Nolan's own blade appeared to be focusing on Sirius' left wrist as a means to disable his swordsmanship. "Hmph." Sirius extended his arms, as a flurry of blades appeared out of thin air around him. Nameless swords controlled by his Telekinesis. He didn't need to perform an especially complex maneuver, but he did cause them to spin around them, rotating so fast they began more akin to flat discs, ready to slice through anything, but also defend him from the flames, which they did, and would also protect him from Nolan's attack "I have many swords that I have collected in my life. I am never unarmed.". SCHWING! The sound of a blade unsheathing and slashing reverberated throughout the area. The guards quickly diverted their attention for a split second... "Phantom..." A magical seal exploded forward—using negative feelings in order to fuel the attack, the magical energy being formed turned a dark crimson. "Death Spear!" A myriad of spiked lances shot forth from the seal—pulverizing the guards at amazing speeds, the spears wouldn't stop in their firing rate- flying around wildly. It felt like a geometric curtain of death was being formed at this very moment. As the dust settled, the guards...or rather, what was left of them were strewn about like a spilled soup fallen upon the floor. A raven-haired, scarlet-eyed young woman stood in front of Hisui. She had a perpetually bored expression upon her face. "Oh hey, it's the princess. I knew that the target was important, but this is on an entirely different level." Truly, she was getting more and more exasperated with the fact that most of her clients gave her the vaguest of details to go on- but then again, the fact that she had a ninety-percent success rate, even with this, was what made her such a good assassin. "Sorry, lady. But you've got to die right here." Her tone was mockingly sarcastic- Alyssa Lucifuge aimed her blade towards Hisui's neck... Hisui, however, remained calm. Her expression remained unhinged, as she glanced to the side, seeing what was left of her guards. Suddenly, one of the guards returned with the cup of water Hisui requested "Your Highness, I have y-..." The guard was startled the moment he realized what was before him, noticing his allies dead, and Queen in danger. "Oh, good. You've returned with my water." Hisui spoke, unnaturally calm "Bring that water to me, and do get rid of this nuisance." Her fearlessness could equate to arrogance and foolishness at times... However, the guard was too terrified, dropping the glass of water and running away insteaad "Damn coward..." Hisui muttered under her breath, as she focused her sights on Alyssa once more "Is this what they send after me these days? Assassins clad in a uniform fitting for school? How bothersome." Hisui sighed, noting on Alyssa's attire being a sailor uniform. Of all things to wear on an assassination, was the one of the things on Hisui's mind right now. The other involved whether or not Nolan or Sirius will notice their country's Queen is in peril. "Sirius..." Nolan sensed a spike in magical energies and turned to the direction of the Queen, completely ignoring Sirius' assault at this point in time. "You there...get away from the Queen, now. Otherwise you'll have the wrath of the two of us to deal with." His tone suddenly became murderous and his flaring aura a lot more composed. With nothing more than his left hand pointed towards the assassin's direction, he clutched his palm into a fist, with a sphere of water suddenly forming around the assassin's being, as a means to stave her off and away from Hisui. "Sirius, hurry up and do your job. I'll handle the girl." Nolan told him, jumping upwards with the assistance of a large shockwave from beneath him, as he clutched his blade and immediately got into a combat stance; this person was dangerous. Sirius noticed the presence of the assassin "You...!" Sirius bent his knees, as if preparing to jump "Get away from her!" Using the power of High Speed to boost the power of his legs, allowing him to leap a great distance, enough to read the Hisui's seat. He landed right behind Alyssa, showing his massive sized compared to her "If you value anything on your body, you shall redirect your sword away from her neck." Sirius threatened Alyssa, as he summoned a multitude of blade, hovering with the use of Telekinesis behind him, ready to strike at a moment's notice. "Oh, good." Hisui said "You remembered your job." Whether that was a compliment or insult was anyone's guess. Alyssa simply smirked- a puddle of blackness pooled from her feet, allowing her to sink into the ground to avoid her attackers- focusing her magical aura into the shadow as to break through Nolan's watery sphere. Nolan's shockwave rippled across the ground- though it didn't affect Alyssa herself. The ground itself was damaged, sure- but could a shockwave harm a shadow? It was doubtful—unless the user'd infused some magical energy into the blow. Or something like that. In this day and age, magic really was vague. Directly avoiding Sirius' possible attack by submerging into the shadow, Alyssa reappeared upon the ground behind them both. That Shadow Translocation technique certainly was nifty. Blade in hand, Alyssa cracked her neck. "You guys seemed like you were having a blast with your bonding there. I hate to interrupt, but," She sighed. Alyssa Lucifuge was considered the most informal assassin ever. "Can I just do my job and go home?" "Doing your job requires us to be killed..." Nolan's sudden seriousness caused his magical power to be tempered around his being in a dense aura. He shifted his left foot backwards, applying a sudden pulse as he instantly propelled forward with his sword horizontally parallel to his chest. He stopped, just before Alyssa's body, before shifting his right leg forward as he swung his sword in a wide arc in an attempt to completely bisect Alyssa in one move, all while he completed his sentence. "Doesn't it?" Category:Roleplay